Cerebral_DownTime wrote:That's the one. I don't think they're making a political statement or anything.

I doubt it. FX shops have a cache of heads that they reproduce in circumstances when they need to provide a bunch of heads. That one was probably a George head from some other show they did and they just threw a wig on it and put it there and got a good laugh at the irony. There are probably other celebrity heads up there we don't even know about. Statement? No.

Oh, it was always going to be at least 2014. WoW is to be as long or longer than Swords or Dance. At last word he said he had about 400-500 manuscript pages finished, out of a planned 1500. Which translates to 900+ printed pages.

Luckily they won't be getting that far in the series for at least another 4-5 years, and it will probably take 2 seasons for WoW anyway. Book & TV series may end up finishing up around the same time, maybe 1-2 years difference.

cozmeesah wrote:Oh, it was always going to be at least 2014. WoW is to be as long or longer than Swords or Dance. At last word he said he had about 400-500 manuscript pages finished, out of a planned 1500. Which translates to 900+ printed pages.

Luckily they won't be getting that far in the series for at least another 4-5 years, and it will probably take 2 seasons for WoW anyway. Book & TV series may end up finishing up around the same time, maybe 1-2 years difference.

Yeah, I'd be shocked if it were published before late 2014. The big question is whether he can/will actually wrap it up in 7 books. Supposedly he has the titles already set (Winds of Winter and Dream of Spring), but that doesn't really mean anything.

You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves-----Abe Lincoln

Let me tell you, if any of you douchebag empty headed stuffed suit nanny politicians tries to fuck with my bacon, I’m going after you like a crazed chimpanzee on bath salts. -----Lars

I am not reading the books, so I don't know the life span of these current characters, but how long can the TV show last? Sooner or later some of the main Actors will start either A) Ask for more money then HBO is willing to pay, or B) get bored and quit. Generally 7 seasons is about the limit for a HBO show, it be a dam shame if the series doesn't end where the books do.

"I don't think they're building chemical weapons in Berea. But they might be. I can't say for sure."Chuck Klosterman

cozmeesah wrote:Oh, it was always going to be at least 2014. WoW is to be as long or longer than Swords or Dance. At last word he said he had about 400-500 manuscript pages finished, out of a planned 1500. Which translates to 900+ printed pages.

Luckily they won't be getting that far in the series for at least another 4-5 years, and it will probably take 2 seasons for WoW anyway. Book & TV series may end up finishing up around the same time, maybe 1-2 years difference.

Yeah, I'd be shocked if it were published before late 2014. The big question is whether he can/will actually wrap it up in 7 books. Supposedly he has the titles already set (Winds of Winter and Dream of Spring), but that doesn't really mean anything.

I think so. If he has 2 nearly 1,000 page books, that's a lot of space. I have a feeling things will begin to happen really quickly in the books. The pieces are positioning themselves and will soon be moving.

Govbarney wrote:I am not reading the books, so I don't know the life span of these current characters, but how long can the TV show last? Sooner or later some of the main Actors will start either A) Ask for more money then HBO is willing to pay, or B) get bored and quit. Generally 7 seasons is about the limit for a HBO show, it be a dam shame if the series doesn't end where the books do.

Books 4&5 will have to be done as one season, and you can cut out thre quarters of book four and never miss a thing.

Book 4 was a complete fuckup showing a total lack of editorial oversight or control: Translation -- Martin is a best-selling author, we no longer will tell him what to do, even if he goes on a 1,000-page digression focusing on a minor character whose quest is totally pointless to the overall story-arc and could've been summed up in one paragraph without losing ONE GODDAMN THING.

Govbarney wrote:I am not reading the books, so I don't know the life span of these current characters, but how long can the TV show last? Sooner or later some of the main Actors will start either A) Ask for more money then HBO is willing to pay, or B) get bored and quit. Generally 7 seasons is about the limit for a HBO show, it be a dam shame if the series doesn't end where the books do.

Books 4&5 will have to be done as one season, and you can cut out thre quarters of book four and never miss a thing.

Book 4 was a complete fuckup showing a total lack of editorial oversight or control: Translation -- Martin is a best-selling author, we no longer will tell him what to do, even if he goes on a 1,000-page digression focusing on a minor character whose quest is totally pointless to the overall story-arc and could've been summed up in one paragraph without losing ONE GODDAMN THING.

I hated Book 4, in case you didn't pick that up.

It was....ummm.... slow to develop. I'll agree with that. And by slow I mean it didn't. Or at least hasn't yet since I finished it.

Book 4 was better the 2nd time around for me. I combined 4/5 into what would have been their chronological order, and while it took forever, the overall read was more entertaining than when it was split up geographically.

For those who are really starved for Westeros info, a map book came out earlier this year called the lands of ice and fire or something like that. I didn't get it, but supposedly has a lot of really detailed maps for those who are into that sort of thing. Sometime in 2013 another book is coming out called the world of ice and fire that goes into more detail about the history of Westeros, the original Targ conquest, age of heroes etc.

You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves-----Abe Lincoln

Let me tell you, if any of you douchebag empty headed stuffed suit nanny politicians tries to fuck with my bacon, I’m going after you like a crazed chimpanzee on bath salts. -----Lars

gotribe31 wrote:Book 4 was better the 2nd time around for me. I combined 4/5 into what would have been their chronological order, and while it took forever, the overall read was more entertaining than when it was split up geographically.

For those who are really starved for Westeros info, a map book came out earlier this year called the lands of ice and fire or something like that. I didn't get it, but supposedly has a lot of really detailed maps for those who are into that sort of thing. Sometime in 2013 another book is coming out called the world of ice and fire that goes into more detail about the history of Westeros, the original Targ conquest, age of heroes etc.

I combined four and 5 as well at your suggestion.

Still far more interested in the Arya, Tyrion and Jon stories than Bran and Sansa. I HATE the Bran stuff. God damn trees. I found myself dreading the chapters focused on him and to an extent Danys. Although that got better.

gotribe31 wrote:Book 4 was better the 2nd time around for me. I combined 4/5 into what would have been their chronological order, and while it took forever, the overall read was more entertaining than when it was split up geographically.

For those who are really starved for Westeros info, a map book came out earlier this year called the lands of ice and fire or something like that. I didn't get it, but supposedly has a lot of really detailed maps for those who are into that sort of thing. Sometime in 2013 another book is coming out called the world of ice and fire that goes into more detail about the history of Westeros, the original Targ conquest, age of heroes etc.

I combined four and 5 as well at your suggestion.

Still far more interested in the Arya, Tyrion and Jon stories than Bran and Sansa. I HATE the Bran stuff. God damn trees. I found myself dreading the chapters focused on him and to an extent Danys. Although that got better.

Agreed, but the Bran/Sansa stuff is where book 6 will really be interesting. Bran through the WWW is going to be able to see damn near everything that's happening in Westeros north of King's Landing, to include any events in the past that occured in front of the trees. Sansa is the sole insight into the individual who, it turns out, is the main manipulator in the entire saga (spoiler alert!) So the two of them are cruical to the next steps in the story.

You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves-----Abe Lincoln

Let me tell you, if any of you douchebag empty headed stuffed suit nanny politicians tries to fuck with my bacon, I’m going after you like a crazed chimpanzee on bath salts. -----Lars

Lands of Ice and Fire is pretty awesome. I never realized just how humongous Kings Landing actually was until I saw that map. I also never realized how much land there was East of the Red Waste and just how far away Asshai (where Melisandre - and the R'hollor religion - hails from) is from everything else. Essos also completely dwarfs Westeros.

There's one in it called "Journeys" where there are color-coded lines showing you the travels of most of the main characters. It's confusing at times, but cool.

I also bought the deluxe version of "Inside HBO's Game of Thrones." The book of storyboards are fabulous, as well is a lot of the info in the book itself. Amazon had a 60% off sale on it a couple of months ago. I snatched that up the second I saw it.

Another thing that is great for the book readers is the iPhone/iPad (only) app "George R.R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire." It's free to download, but you have to buy an info pack for each of the books ($1 per book.) It's an official app that GRRM contributed to, along with the people who run Westeros.org. There is detailed information on every character, location and House. Some of which confirms or even further hints at things that were only speculated on or hinted at in the first 5 books. Though keep in mind it doesn't hint at where characters will be past what is already in the books through Dance.

Al, you'll love this - threads on Westeros.org's forums that are a must read:

peeker643 wrote:And by the way, if he'd just do a ten book series on the Adventures of Arya, I'd buy them all.

Agreed.

I almost didn't read Book 5 because of Book 4. Then I realized I had forced myself to read Books 7, 8 AND 9 of the Wheel of Time and decided I could give the series another chance.

Did Wheel of Time ever get good again? I stopped reading over 10 years ago after Book 8, because by then it had just become unbearable.

I had to check Wikipedia to see which book it was that I stopped at, only to find that there are 14(!) books now, with the last book coming out in just a few days, and the last 3 books all written after the death of Robert Jordan. Wow.

peeker643 wrote:And by the way, if he'd just do a ten book series on the Adventures of Arya, I'd buy them all.

Agreed.

I almost didn't read Book 5 because of Book 4. Then I realized I had forced myself to read Books 7, 8 AND 9 of the Wheel of Time and decided I could give the series another chance.

Did Wheel of Time ever get good again? I stopped reading over 10 years ago after Book 8, because by then it had just become unbearable.

I had to check Wikipedia to see which book it was that I stopped at, only to find that there are 14(!) books now, with the last book coming out in just a few days, and the last 3 books all written after the death of Robert Jordan. Wow.

I literally read Book 9 while sitting on a tropical Island just to force myself to finish it. The plot stopped progressing more than a few inches after Book 6. I gave up after Book 9.

I remember already owning Book 10, reading the first page, saying "Oh the hell with this," and then taking all 10 books to the nearest used bookstore to trade in for credit.

I've looked up Plot Synopsis of the subsequent books out of morbid curiosity and always feeling good I quit when I did.

When I read Book 4 of SoIaF, my heart dropped because I was afraid Martin and his publisher were starting down the same road as Robert Jordan and the WoT. Book 5 has helped assuage those fears.

For those that read the books, Martin has posted a couple of sample chapters from the upcoming novel. This in no way suggests he's close to finishing, but for those inclined there's a taste of what's to come in the next book:

peeker643 wrote:And by the way, if he'd just do a ten book series on the Adventures of Arya, I'd buy them all.

Agreed.

I almost didn't read Book 5 because of Book 4. Then I realized I had forced myself to read Books 7, 8 AND 9 of the Wheel of Time and decided I could give the series another chance.

Did Wheel of Time ever get good again? I stopped reading over 10 years ago after Book 8, because by then it had just become unbearable.

I had to check Wikipedia to see which book it was that I stopped at, only to find that there are 14(!) books now, with the last book coming out in just a few days, and the last 3 books all written after the death of Robert Jordan. Wow.

I literally read Book 9 while sitting on a tropical Island just to force myself to finish it. The plot stopped progressing more than a few inches after Book 6. I gave up after Book 9.

I remember already owning Book 10, reading the first page, saying "Oh the hell with this," and then taking all 10 books to the nearest used bookstore to trade in for credit.

I've looked up Plot Synopsis of the subsequent books out of morbid curiosity and always feeling good I quit when I did.

When I read Book 4 of SoIaF, my heart dropped because I was afraid Martin and his publisher were starting down the same road as Robert Jordan and the WoT. Book 5 has helped assuage those fears.

The two series are so very similar with their complex character/plot development.

WOT has been a LABOR of love for what....two decades now. Thank God for Wiki in that I can go back and refresh my memory as to what happened each time a new book comes out. I WILL perservere and finish what I started when the final book is released. I completely agree that after book 5 or so the series REALLY began to grind to a hault....I'm no quitter though.

I really didn't want to , but I started reading the books less then a month ago, and of course I cant put them down now. I hope to have "Clash of Kings" wrapped up sometime next week before the season 3 premiere.

Season 1 of the show, and the first book are almost carbon copies. But COK is way more in depth, and frankly just better then Season 2 on HBO, cant wait to get to Blackwater in the book.

"I don't think they're building chemical weapons in Berea. But they might be. I can't say for sure."Chuck Klosterman

cozmeesah wrote:Those soldiers are called "the Unsullied", which is also what book readers call the show watchers who have not yet read the books.

Well, i'm one of those people who has never read the books. I'm going to guess Martin used them as his version of the Spartans. He probably gave them a similar back story. Chosen from birth to be elite warriors, willing to fight to the death, and they got the name "unsullied" because they're not allowed to take a lover.

How close am I?

Totally jazzed for S3, we'll just how much of it the baby let's me watch....

cozmeesah wrote:Close. Except they're not revered or honored like the Spartans, were slaves, and couldn't have a lover whether or not they were permitted/wanted to. They're more "droid" than Spartan.

Have they been "clipped" , and not in the jewish sense?

Yes, in the books at least. Also they've been "deprogrammed" ever since they were little to basically have no feelings, personality or individuality. They don't even have names. Have also been continuously given an elixir that has desensitized them to pain.

Can't speak for what they'll do on the show, but I don't see why they wouldn't keep them that way. It's not spoiling to tell you all this because none of it is really important to the plot. You know what they are, and you know from the trailers that Dany has them. The what, when, where, why, how & who are the fun parts that I won't say.